Drawing apparatus



Aug. 13, 1940. E. BROWNJOHN I DRAWING APPARATUS.

Filed Jan. 6, 1940 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

iar/ BY perspective views rapidly. The drawing board.

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics DRAWING APPARATUS Earl Brownjohn, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 6, 1940, Serial No. 312,787

3 Claims.

It is a principal object of my invention to p-rovide a drawing device whereby drawings of the perspective type may be made more easily and accurately than has heretofore been possible and which device is relatively simple to make and use and economical to manufacture.

Drawing devices of the same general character heretofore known all have the common objection that they are large and bulky. According to this invention, a heavy drawing board and cumbersome rigid straight edges are eliminated in that I provide a device which is light in weight and collapsible into compact form so that it is easily carried about and shipped or stored.

Among the further objects of my invention are: first, to simplify the construction of a drawing device; second, to facilitate the securing of a high degree of accuracy andspeedin the performance of the work performed therewith; third, to attain a flexibility or a capability of adjustment by which a large variety of work can be produced with the same device; and fourth, to.

make adjustment and repair easy.

soon be described in detail, my device is unequalled for facilitating the obtaining of an ab-,

solute perfect system of lines which, if continued, would converge towards a single vanishing point, whether it is placed in a truly horizontal position or at an angle thereto. As will appear, the device is simple in design, neat in appearance, and, while light in weight and not bulky, of a durable nature.

As will be described, the device preferably includes a pair of pivoted straight edge members which afford a convenient means for making neat may be of any desired size and may be on any angle.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and. in a unique combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view showing a modified form of the means for releasably securing a drawing sheet to the board;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view to explain how a central panel and a side panel may be hingedly connected; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional. viewthrough the device of the invention to explain certain features thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the invention will be more fully described. Like numerals refer to like parts in different figures of the drawing.

A central panel member isindicated by H! and this may be the drawing board part of the device of the invention. Side panel members l2 are disposed at opposite sides of said member l0 and are preferably hingedly connected thereto.

The hinging may be accomplishedin various ways. The side panels I! may be integral with member Ill and the whole formed of foldalole sheet material so that folding lines !4 may be provided between the central and side panels.

In another way, parts land 82 may be separate and a flexible tape I6 or the like may be secured to adjacent edge portions of the panels, as shown in Fig. 3. In any event, it is desirable that the side panels be adapted to be moved into overlapping relation with one another and with the central panel when the device is not in use. 1

If a tape such as I6 is employed, it may extend the full length of the panels I!) and 12 or it may extend for only a part of the length of the adjacent panels. Said tape may be formed of paper, cloth, or other sheet material.

The central panel I!) and its accompanying side panels I2 may be made from any desired material although a stiff paper is preferred. This is not only because such material is inexpensive and light in weight as contrasted with wood, but it provides a. suitably hard surface upon which work can be efliciently and easily done.

- The central panel I0 is provided with some kind of mounting means such as indicated at 2|] whereby a sheet of drawing paper P may be releasably attached to the upper surface of the panel I 0. As in the case of all drawing boards, it is necessary that the sheet P be firmly held in its position upon the panel II] and I have found that socalled "art-corners such as are shown are suitable for this purpose. As is well known, they consist of triangular-shaped pocket members for receiving the corners of the sheet P.

In another way, the panel l0 may be provided with slots such as shown in Fig. 2 for receiving the corners of the paper P. It will be appreciated various other releasable-attaching means may be utilized. 7

A pair of straight edge members 26 are provided and these are adapted to have inner end portions overlying the central panel H]. The outer end portions of said members are pivoted at M to the side panels E2 in some suitable manner.

I have found that an ordinary paper fastener represented by 28 in Fig. 4 is suitable for this purpose, particularly where the panels are of paper. In any event, it is desirable that the pivotal fastening means be removable so that the straight edge members may be moved to, and held in position at, other desired points relative to the panels and to this end a plurality of spaced openings 24 may be provided in the panels for receiving the fasteners.

If desired, the openings 24 may be lined with a grommet 25 or the like as shown in Fig. 4. so as to resist the tearing eifects of continued use. The straight edge member 28 may also be provided withopenings having grommets 25 therein for the same purpose and when the parts have openings in co-incidence a fastener 28 may be inserted, through the grommets as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

As stated, the panels 52 are adapted to be folded into overlapping. relation with the panel Hi. In order to further facilitate this folding, the straight edge members 20 are also hinged as indicated at 35 so that when not in use. the device may be readily folded into compact form.

-As is well-known, in drawing straight edges are used to draw perspective lines for buildings and the like whenever the vanishing point, that is the point from which all lines of a perspective drawing radiate, lies beyond the drawing board.

In my apparatus, the straight edges are attached to the board and are readily movable to any desired angle relative to the drawing sheet. The parts are economically provided and asassembled and the result is an inexpensive, unitary device facilitating the obtaining of accurate perspective lines.

While I havedescribed the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A unitary drawing device of the class described comprising in combination. a central panel having side panels hinged thereto at opposite sides thereof, said panels being arranged to be moved between superposed closed relation with the side panels overlying both one another and said central panel and co-planar open relation with the side panels extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central panel, and a pair of straight-edge members having outer end portions pivoted to the inner surfaces of said side panels and inner end portions overlying the inner surface of said central panel, said straight-edge members being foldable intermediate their said inner and outer end portions whereby they may be disposed in folded relation between said panels when the latter are in said closed relation.

2. A unitary drawing device of the class described comprising in combination, a central panel having side panels hinged thereto at opposite sides thereof, said panels being arranged to be moved between superposed closed relation with the side panels overlying both one another and said central panel and co-planar open relation with the side panels extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central panel, and a pair of straight-edge members having outer end portions pivoted to the inner surfaces of said side panels and inner end portions overlying the inner surface of said central panel, said straightedge members being provided with transverselyextending hinges intermediate their said inner and outer end portions which coincide with the hinges between said central panel and the side panels whereby said members may be disposed in folded relation between the panels when the latter are in said closed relation.

3. 'A unitary drawing device of the class described comprising in combination, a sheet of foldable material .foldable on a pair of spaced substantially parallel lines providing a central panel for supporting a sheet of drawing paper and side panels extending from opposite sides thereof, said side panels being movable between a closed superposed position overlying said central panel and an open position coplanar with the central panel and extendingoutwardly from opposite sides thereof, and a pair of oppositelydisposed straight edge members having outer end portions pivoted to the inner surface of said side panels and inner portions overlying the inner surface of said central panel, said straight edge members being provided with transversely-extending hinges intermediate their said inner and outer end portions which may coincide with said lines of the sheet when said panels are in said closed position whereby the said members may be disposed in folded relation between the panels when the latter are in said closed relation.

EARL BROWNJOHN. 

